Bells Of Freedom and its religious message.
 

This must be the most religious song by BJ. But something is bugging me with it.
Its clearly lots of references (the title being one) for freedom and that it's goes directly with the church.
Besides BJ being totally hypocrites here, as church and freedom never went well togheter, more the opposite.
Next to that I believe a band as BJ shouldn't be so open for any particular religion. Sure they can refer to religion as in general, but not in specific.
Nowadays its like talking open about political preferences way back in time. A wrong message.

And I'm sure Jon isn't as dumb as Bush (Mr 100x referering to almighty God when talking about war in Iraq & Terror)

Um, WelcomeTo Wherever You Are is more religious IMO.
I never thought Bells sounde all that religious to me.
Isn't it a riff on an old Dylan song?

I'm not religious AT ALL BTW.

I never saw Bells of Freedom as religious either - and yes it's a take on Dylan's Chimes of Freedom. I suppose that song could be taken as religious also by some people but not by me.

uuuh churchbells to start the song --? (church)Bells of freedom.
Wich bells do you think they were?











Next to that, they seen that for the ones that went through fields of dirt, been in the dark and went up the step of the church and are believing (the others not and (in what religion? duh) that the suns still shines.

(other people can soddoff, ie people that don't work with dirt, are afraid of the dark, don't go to the church and don't believe)

I don't think it's that religious. Bells in America is more of a symbol of 'liberty' than religion, I think that's what Jovi was going for. I agree Welcome is a far more religious song. What I like about BoF is that it can be interpreted as patriotic without explicitly being so, much like Undivided. Bon Jovi never takes the nauseating Mellencamp root.

The most 'spiritual', or at least philosophical Jovi song is easily and by far STBI.

aah yeah if that's the case then probs it.

spiritual yes, I never thought that song had much to do with religion, if any than it was that is was away

I think that, as songwriters, they can write what they feel moved to write. If it's religious in nature, they have the artistic right to go with it. To say that they shouldn't write a religious song because of the message is just another form of censorship.

its about the black freedom fighters in 60's america

Yeah, I don't see any religious message to the song either. Welcome To Wherever You Are on the other hand......nauseating.

I don't see that BOF has religious undertones but...
What if it does? Why would that be bad?

They always write songs about their lives so if faith is a part of it then they should write about that too... and you don't like it then you might be a little closed minded. Faith in popular music is everywhere, especially in the Country genre so you might actually see more of that from BJ.

Jon says he's not religious but he says he is spiritual... Meaning he believes in God but doesn't follow any specific religious institution. David is Jewish and the rest are catholic... i think. If they want to sing about their beliefs then they should.

As far as bells=church.... that's not true at all. We have towers with so-called Liberty Bells everywhere across the USA and not all of them are associated with churches.

Hells Bells by ACDC starts off with bells... bells doesn't = religion in my opinion.
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Web shows

It doesn't strike me as religious, any more than a typical BJ song. It's about overcoming defeat, moving on past hard times, taking control of your life, etc.

In fact I remember reading that this song was inspired by Jon's disappointment over the 2004 presidential election.

On a separate note, this song sounds a lot like This Aint A Love Song 2005!

Damn, I was gonna say that.

I never thought of it as a religious song either. For the record: I like it a lot - some people seem to hate it, but it's a good ballad IMO. BOF, not HB. But I like HB as well!

Aloha !

You sound a lot like Dawn who claimed I'll Be There For You was a religious song because Jon was praying to god. Oh yeah.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

LMFAO well altough Dawn & I share a lot of love in our online marriage its exacly the opposite, but I get where you going. But I'm a real dutch guy and those bells are just plain church bells for a boer.
Even though those crazy Americans says they stand for freedom, its still equal to me - it are church bells, ie message of song church = freedom = a ****ing lie

loads of their songs are littered with catholic references...

my favourite being "i want to be just as close as

the holy ghost is..."


that s a phenomenal lyric....


keep the faith....dont let your love turn to hate....

born to be my baby....if we re goin to really scrutinise you could say that is Genesis re-told for the 80s


their faith as children has helped to forge who they are.

those are more in general, could be any religion. Its almost in all BJ songs except for Living in Sin as I can remember now (probs more).
Something to believe in could be interperet that way, but I still believe that it is alcohol wich is to believe in

Aloha !

A boer you obviously are, but anyone who's getting married, or sees a couple getting married in the church doesn't experience it as a religious thing either, even when the church bells ring while a couple is leaving the church.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I have been to a lot of wedding the last years, but none of them were in a church, its not like I am a boer in kaatsheuvel. :p

But none of them went to church for marriage so obviously they weren't religious enough to go to curch and just go to local goverment. So for them, church and therefore those bells are religious.

But I understand now that in the US it has a different meaning

that was precisely my point....their catholic upbringing has undoubtedly been an influence on their music....well lyrically...

pax V

;)

well that was exaclty NOT my point, read again.

you said it could be "any religion"

not for one second did i say they are the vaticans house band....but catholicism in their case has formed...what s the word....the ethos of what their songs are about...


its subtle...hence why you are blind to that..its subtle...but like basil in a good pizza...its always there...not in your face...but it s there.


and why the capital letters....so many anal people on this board...really!

Yes I understand their religion is catholism, besides the fact that they should not be proud of that ,I'm saying in these times you shouldn't call your religion out loud, especcialy catholism. It's like politics ages ago.

Back to what I ment, they did not ever (besides LiS) really write a song focuses on catholism, it was always in religion in general, wich I respect very much of them.
But I just don't have a good feeling with Bells of Freedom. Maybe its my 'hatred' against catholism.

mmmmmmm interesting...

why do you hate catholicism? how can you hate a religion?


are you a religious person?

that s like me saying "i hate islam"

or "**** judaism!"

nonsense....what s the issue. my point is that catholic sentiment and their songs over the last 25 years are undeniably intertwined.


that is clear for all to see!

I was actually baptisted (real english word?) as a catholic, my parents are, I had to pray on junior school.

But I read books, I really did, I read books of Stepthen King, Dean R Koontz but I also read books wich desribed the horror the church did in test of time, not only to each other. They did more horror then Hitler, Saddam & MIlosovic and all those other bastards in these days. Not any religion or any instution/group standing for that religion even managed that. Not even close.
And still people support this instutiute, give it money. I mean its just the same as supporting a Hitler-church in 100 years, no not the same, even more cruel.
I don't really hate the religion altough I think its as much true as snowwhite. I do hate the institution that stands for this religion, meaning catlism in specific.

man made the church what it is today.

as for how it started...well that was jesus and st peter.

why deny jesus because you disagree with human politics?

i too have alot of issues with regards to the church but i would nt be so foolish as to turn my back on it( not that you have..just speaking personally)

have you any belief in god?

this is interesting..tell me to beat it if you like :D

No No No & No.

I do believe Jesus existed as a nobal man, he probs would won the nobel prize. Its the Mandela of nowadays, but Mandela isn't really fair as he gives only money and benefits to its own triat/group. jesus wasn't the son of god untill 300 years after his death. Oh I had so much school in church when I was a kid.
God wasn't there, and isn't there. Its just the same as saying spiderman excist, or Santa Claus is real.

I do some people need a religon to hang on to. But its too good to be true and never ever any indicated of God was given.
And if God excist then he ins;t god and you all worshipping Satan. Just go to Niger, or most other countries in Africa. Go to Iraq.
I've seen people die up close of cancer and having an awfull ending, meaning weeks. Where was God.
Church on crucify (not sure if that's the correct word), where was God.
9/11 where was god?
My best friend having Aids, where is God.
every 5 seconds a child dies of poverty, where is god.
etc etc
If he excist he's a son of a bitch and not worth the worshipping.
(and I mean any god of any religion)

its all the one god.jews,christians and muslims....its the same god.

where you from?

Not true! Hinduism has a few thousands different gods!

i never mentioned them but

;)

So almost every religion has the same god except the exceptions. yeah right

right hold on.

time to be educated folks.

christianity comes from judaism yeah? the same god. jews didnt accept jesus as the messiah.

islam-originally the first muslims were mainly converts from christianity or judaism.

they accept jesus as the messiah but not as part of a trinity-id est the father son and holy spirit.


they too descend from adam and moses....

hinduism...from a monotheists' perspective doesn't make sense.

seeks too are monotheists.


we believe in one god.

wich god?......

"we believe in on god
the father the almighty
creator of heaven and earth
of all that is seen and unseen"

thats the start of the creed ;)

yes, so wich god? any proof of anything? wich god?

there is proof of jesus, just not as a son of a god. so where is/was god? And what did he create?

this debate could go on forever. what i was stating was that as RC i believe in the same god as jews and muslims.

as for "what god? where is he...prove he exists?!"

who can prove he doesn't?


thus it's a question of faith. i'll quote Jesus himself when he informed his disciples that he was to be killed in jerusalem and Peter, (latin for stone....as he is the rock on which the church was built) said to jesus "We must'nt let that happen!We must protect you!"

jesus responded "Get behind me Satan! you are thinking with the head of a man rather than the heart of God!"

in other words...man doesn't have the capacity to know or understand fully what gods' plan is-he did however bestow upon us the ability to have faith.

and this takes us back to the undertones of bonjovi and their music :)


any questions fire away!

aah sorry but your kinda people make me laugh, its like a grown-up believing in santa-claus.

santa claus is a real person!

he was catholic priest from norway who heard about a fathers plans to sell his daughter to the vice trade as they were so poor.

to preserve her innonence he threw pouches of golden coins down the chimney thus saving her from protsitution.

as jesus said "let the children come to me...for the kingdom of god belongs to ones such as these"

if we were all more child-like the world would be a far better place.

you are in my prayers comrade :)

oh boy, yes of course he was real. But did he or does he come to doors to everyone around the world during 2 christmas days?

again if god excist then satan is the better one. Think every 5 seconds to a child dying to poverty. Then think how much any religion is doing for them. Then think wich institution is the richest in the world and don't give a **** about those kids dying.

again...you re thinking about earthly goods!

soften your heart...there's more to life than this! we are called to love god. do you seriously think all the complexitites that surround us at this moment are the result of chance?


i think that is a more laughable that a creator. (ps i too believe in evolution but it was a response to a stimulus)